 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame', 1763-4
by François-Herbert Drouais
|
This large full-length portrait shows Madame de Pompadour seated on a canapé at her tambour (tapestry) frame with one of her pet dogs. At the age of 9 a fortune-teller predicted that she would be loved by a king in later life and she was consequently called by the nickname 'Reinitte', meaning 'Little Queen'. The prophecy came true as she later became a personal close friend of the King of France, Louis XV. Her name changed after she met the King, when he bought her the estate of Pompadour and appointed her marquise of it.
She was well-known for being a charming, good-natured and well-educated lady who was a great patron of the arts. The painting records her pursuits and interests. Amongst the objects that surround her are books, an artists' portfolio, a mandolin and a table with wool and tools on for tapestry.
Madame de Pompadour is dressed lavishly in a hand-painted silk dress trimmed with lace and decorated with an intricate floral pattern. She has a lace bonnet tied beneath her chin with a silk ribbon. One tiny shoe pokes out from beneath her skirts. She was a very fashionable lady, so she would have wanted to be painted in her most up-to-the-minute outfit.
|
Photo © The National Gallery, London
|
|
|
|
